Yes, they did look twice....

WALTERVILLE: The “custom” in Curanns Custom Taxidermy is something his clients have come to rely on. Earlier this month a lot of other people had the chance to see an example of his work when he drove the result of a major reconstruction project to its new home in Veneta.

Standing 10 feet, 2 inches tall, the giraffe on Curran’s trailer made quite an impact on unsuspecting motorists when it came into view. Some were distracted to the point it made traffic merges challenging and one, Curran said, caused him to slam on his brakes while merging onto I-105 because “he was pacing me with his phone in front of his face.”

While most of his work comes from hunters around the region who want to preserve an elk or deer, Curran is also certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That allows him to import skins from other countries like crates expected to arrive soon containing an elephant and a white rhino. And, though he admits the giraffe was one “of the bigger ones,” he already had a shoulder-mounted one in his showroom and is currently working on a half-life Cape buffalo.

The full-size giraffe came his way via another taxidermist who bought it from a customer who had hunted it 25 to 30 years ago in Africa. Over the years it had deteriorated to the point Curran spent two months restoring it - rehydrating the skin and glues along with repairing areas that had pulled away from its foam core.

It's something that tall, luckily, the new owner’s shop has a twelve-foot ceiling, where he placed it - next to his drum set.

If you’d like to see more of his work, Currans Taxidermy showroom, at 39861 McKenzie Highway, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 541-746-7197.